What is Go To Travel Campaign?

Go To Travel Campaign Starts July 22! What is It?

The “Go To Campaign Business” is planned to stimulate demand in the tourism industry, restaurant business, and other areas that have been hit hard by the impact of the new coronavirus infection. One of them, the "Go To Travel Campaign", will finally start on Wednesday, July 22. Let's take a look at the details of the campaign, the discount amount, and how much you can save.

What is the Go To Campaign Business?

The "Go To Campaign Business" is an initiative that is carried out in order to support the tourism industry, the food and beverage industry, the event/entertainment business, etc. Similar to the "Reconstruction Discount," which was carried out to revitalize areas where the number of tourists has decreased due to disasters, etc., this time around Japan, it will be implemented with an unprecedented budget scale.

What is the Go To Travel Campaign?

The "Go To Travel Campaign" means that if you make a travel reservation within the campaign period through a travel agency or travel reservation site, you will be provided with an amount equivalent to one half of the price.
A maximum of 20,000 yen per person per night is planned, and a maximum of 10,000 yen per day for one‐day trip is planned. 70% of the amount of support will be given as a discount on the travel price, and the remaining 30% will be given as a "regional common coupon" that can be used when eating and drinking at tourist destinations, tourist facilities, and purchasing souvenirs produced locally. The campaign is targeted at travel products that include accommodation and transportation such as package tours (including day trips) that are booked through travel agencies or travel reservation sites. If you make an individual arrangement for transportation/accommodation individually, the accommodation fee will be eligible for the promotion, but transportation will not be discounted. In addition, there is no limit to the number of times you can use the Go To Travel Campaign, and there is no limit to the number of consecutive nights at the destination (however, it is limited to stays within the campaign period).

By the way, what is worrisome is the content of the "regional common coupon" that is given. It is planned to be given as a paper coupon, such as a gift certificate, and an electronic coupon that is presented on the screen of a smartphone, etc., and can be used at regional common coupon member stores. Issuance is in units of 1,000 yen, and less than 1,000 yen is rounded off. It can be used only during the travel period in the destination prefecture, adjacent prefectures, etc. Please note that no change will be given and no extra money will be refunded.
We are looking forward to seeing what kind of shops and facilities will participate in order to encourage souvenir shops, restaurants, tourist facilities, activities, and transportation to participate in and register for member stores.

Go To Travel Campaign Starts July 22

The Go To Travel Campaign will start from Wednesday, July 22, limited to travel and accommodation price discounts. Distribution of regional coupons will begin after September. Until the coupon distribution starts, you can receive only 70% of the amount equivalent to half of the travel price, that is, 35% of the travel price. Travel reservations departing on or after July 22 are eligible, and travel reservations already booked are also eligible for discounts. After traveling, you can receive a discount refund by applying. (Application methods are being adjusted). Also, for new travel reservations, after July 27 (Monday), travel agents will start selling at a discounted price from travel operators who are ready.

How Much Travel Will You Save With the Go To Travel Campaign?

We will introduce it as a concrete example based on the information known at the moment. For example, if you book a package tour for 40,000 yen for 2 days and 1 night via a travel agency, you will receive 20,000 yen, which is half the price. Of the 20,000 yen, 14,000 yen, which is appropriate for 70%, will be discounted from the travel price, and the remaining 6,000 yen will be given as a regional common coupon.
*Until the distribution of regional common coupons begins, only 14,000 yen will be discounted.

If you book a tour of 50,000 yen for 2 days and 1 night, half of the travel price is 25,000 yen, but the support amount is 20,000 yen, which is the upper limit of one night. However, in the case of a tour of 50,000 yen for 2 nights and 3 days, it will be 25,000 yen per night, so half the price of 12,500 yen × 2 nights, 25,000 yen will be supported.
* Until the distribution of regional common coupons starts, only 17,500 yen will be discounted.

The maximum amount of support for day trips is 10,000 yen. If you participate in a day trip bus tour of 8,000 yen, the amount of support will be 4,000 yen, which is half the price, 70% of that, 2,800 yen will be discounted from the tour price, and the remaining 1,200 yen*¹ will be given with a regional common coupon.

*¹ Local common coupons will be issued in units of 1,000 yen, and those less than 1,000 yen will be rounded off.
* Until the distribution of regional common coupons begins, only the 2,800 yen discount will be offered.
**Information as of July 13, 2020. The information is subject to change, so be sure to check the latest information on the official website of each travel agency in addition to the information announced by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, and each local government.

GO TO Campaign from the Perspective of the Private Lodging (Minpaku) Management Side

Private lodging facilities are eligible for use in this campaign.

At one point, it was said that only accommodation and tours through travel agencies were covered, but later, in the information that came out, it was targeted for accommodation reservations “via travel agencies, via OTA”.

What is OTA?
OTA stands for "Online Travel Agent".
Travel agency that deals only online (on the internet)
* ​Booking.com, Airbnb, Rakuten Travel, Jalan, etc.

The lodging facilities are also posted on these OTAs for sale, so they are also eligible.
In addition, the content said, "Direct reservations at ryokan hotels also apply." This can be interpreted as including reservations from the company's website, so application via Airbnb or via the company's website is also applicable. However, the travel products subject to refund application are limited to those sold by registered business operators of this business, and only those that will be the rise of discount support for this business. If you want to accept, you will need to apply in advance. When accepting an application via OTA, please confirm the content of each site and perform the procedure to be eligible for the campaign.

Go To Travel Business Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
​ (7/13 (Mon) version)

Contents of Question and ​Answer

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Go To Travel Business Overview

-Supports half the amount of accommodation and day trips for domestic travel.
-Of the amount of support, (1) 70% will be given as a discount for travel charges, and (2) 30% will be given as a regional common coupon that can be used at travel destinations.
-Up to 20,000 yen per person per night. 10,000 yen as upper limit for day trips.
-There is no limit on the number of consecutive nights or the number of times of use.

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Will the travel price be half the price?

-No
-The amount of travel equivalent to 1/2 will be supported. Of the amount of support, (1) 70% will be given as a discount for travel expenses and (2) 30% will be given as a regional common coupon that can be used at travel destinations.

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What do travelers need to do to receive discount assistance? After applying for a trip, can I apply for a subsidy from the country or the secretariat?

-In order to receive the discount support for travel and accommodation charges based on this project, it is basically necessary to apply for and purchase campaign-applied products provided by companies that have registered as participating companies in this project.
-The amount of discount support from this project was deducted when purchasing the product.
The amount will be paid by the traveler to the travel agency.
*In some cases, such as when you have already booked before the start of this project, you may need to make a refund after your trip.

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Is the "travel price," which is the basis for calculating the amount of support, a tax-included price or a tax-excluded price?

-Tax included price.

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For the convenience of the system at the travel agency/OTA, is it acceptable to set the discount amount at a certain stair width instead of just 35%?

-Permissible.
-However, as a matter of course, settings exceeding 35% are not allowed.

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Is overseas travel covered, such as airline tickets from overseas to Japan and airline tickets from Japan?

-This project is not supported because it aims to stimulate domestic travel demand.

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When will this project start?

-Proactively start discounts for travel prices starting from July 22
(35% discount (1/2 of the price x 70%)).
-The pre-sale of travel products at regular discount prices will start from July 27th (the start time will vary depending on the business operator).
-Regional coupons that require a certain preparation period will be introduced from travel starting in September or later.

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When will the regional coupon be issued?

-We plan to start from September onwards, but we will inform you of the specific deadline once it is decided.

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How long will the trip be eligible for benefits after the refund procedure?

-For accommodation up to 31st August, a refund procedure will be available after the fact. The handling after September is undecided.

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What is the procedure for applying for a refund for a discount after traveling?

-Details are being adjusted and will be announced soon.
-The discount will be refunded via the person who received the payment (excluding accommodation). When making a reservation on the reservation site, payment will be made from the reservation site if the payment is made at the reservation site, or by the traveler to the secretariat if payment is made locally.
-The flow of the procedure when the traveler himself/herself applies to the secretariat is as follows. 
(1) Submit the following documents by mail or online from the traveler to the secretariat in order to prove that you have actually traveled.

<In case of accommodation>
Application form (obtained at the secretariat website/accommodation facility, etc.), receipt, accommodation certificate (obtained from accommodation facility), personal information consent form (obtained at the secretariat website/accommodation facility, etc.)
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(2) After confirming the documents at the secretariat, refund to the traveler (account transfer, credit card transfer, etc.)

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I would like to become a business operator of discount travel and accommodation products through this project, but when does the registration of participating businesses with the country (the secretariat) begin? Also, what kind of content will agents specifically apply for?

-Registration of participating travel agencies/accommodation operators are scheduled to start in the middle of July. Details will be announced on the Japan Tourism Agency website.
-For example, it is assumed that the secretariat will apply for information such as the name of the business operator, location, contact information, payment account for benefits, etc. However, in any case, it will be announced again soon.

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Is it possible to sell the product at a discount before registering the participating companies? For existing reservations, I have not registered at the time of reservation, but can I apply for a refund?

-No
-You can apply for a refund even if you are not registered at the time of booking. However, if registration of the business is not permitted due to reasons such as not meeting the requirements, it is not eligible for discounts or refunds.

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Is a list of businesses that handle products subject to discounts for travel and accommodation prices announced on the website?

-It is assumed that the information will be introduced through the official website of this project.

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Is it possible to use it in combination with travel price discounts, etc. implemented by each local government?

-Currently, the campaigns (tourism demand stimulating measures) that are being independently developed by each local government are basically positioned as support measures until the Go To Travel project is started. recognition.
-However, even if the project implementation period overlaps, this does not prevent this from happening as a national government (whether or not to use the combination is decided by each local government).

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If the accommodation facility sells accommodation products directly to travelers without going through a travel agency (so-called direct inn sales), is it eligible for discounted accommodation fees? What about applying through HP? What about applying by phone?

-Support is provided under the condition that a system for proper execution management is ensured, such as a system for reliably storing and storing accommodation records outside through the accommodation facility reservation system. 

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Is private lodging subject to discount support for travel and accommodation fees?

-Housing that has been notified by the Housing and Accommodation Business Act or special ward accommodation that has been certified by the National Strategic Special Zones Act will be eligible for support provided that a system for proper execution management is secured.

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Are guest houses, dormitories, youth hostels, capsule hotels, weekly condominiums, etc. eligible for discounts on travel and accommodation prices?

-Facilities that have been licensed by the Hotel and Ryokan Management Law are eligible for support provided that a system for proper execution management is secured.

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Are tent areas, cottages, bungalows, glamping, etc. at campsites eligible for discounted travel and accommodation fees?

-Facilities that have been licensed by the Hotel and Ryokan Management Law are eligible for support, provided that a system for proper execution management is secured.
-In other words, cottages, bungalows, permanent tents, etc. that require the permission of the Budget Hotel Business of Hotel and Ryokan Management Law will be subject to the same support as hotels and inns.
-On the other hand, sites (sections) for tents that do not require the permission of Hotel and Ryokan Management Law are not covered.

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What kind of infectious disease countermeasures are required for travel agents, hotel operators, OTAs, and local coupon members participating in this project?

-Specific requirements for participation in this project will be promptly decided and announced after coordination with the selected secretariat.
-We believe that participating businesses should take measures against infectious diseases in order to ensure the safety and security of travel. It is assumed that you will comply with the guidelines for measures, etc.

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When and where will the information session regarding this project be held?

-In the near future, we will inform you again on the Japan Tourism Agency website.

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▶ Go To トラベル事業の概要PDF［PDF：1979KB］
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